Alpha: The Awakening BEING EDITED
by Creed Vs Deadpool
Summary: Inspired by heroes and trained by killers, Elijah Harvey or "Alpha" is a feral mutant, master assassin, skillful manipulator, and technological specialist. Most lethally proficient when embracing her true nature, this wolf is assigned to work side by side with a tiger. When fire and ice collide, when masks are torn away, it's marked that all hell will break loose. Victor/OC
1. Prologue: Prisoner Of War

_**A/N:** Hello everyone! Welcome to** Alpha: An X-Men Fanfic**. This is my very first fanfic, so please, go easy on me. This is inspired by the incredibly sexy, mind-blowing performance of Liev Schreiber as Victor Creed. I can barely put my love for that man into words. He's deliciously perfect. :)_

_**DISCLAIMER:** I, of course, don't own X-Men or any of the amazing characters (except for my original character). The line below is from the song Pain by Three Days Grace._

_And credit to TCStark for inspiration for the very first paragraph. She's a brilliant writer!  
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><p><em><strong>"I'd rather feel pain than nothing at all."<strong>_

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><p>Prologue: PRISONER OF WAR<p>

**Secluded Prison**

**Moscow, Russia**

Red. It had been years since she had seen so much red. Years since she could hear the screams of those she had killed. After every mission and every assassination, she had created a hardened layer around her. Thick emotional armor that shielded her from reality and regret. That was her life, her wiring, her mind-set, her _nature_. The nature of an animal that she forced herself to become over the years.

Her mind was a blur of miscellaneous memories, all filled with despair and betrayal. They were in perfect sync with the fears that raced through her mind. The fears of a horrifying future, along with the fears of falling asleep and, once again, being forced into the traumatizing nightmares that tormented her through the night, and haunted her during the day.

It wasn't her first time being locked up, but in the past she always had a plan. A brilliant scheme that ensured her escape, since she was familiar of a way out. Of course, now there was no way out...

Her thoughts were interrupted by the clicking of footsteps from outside of her prison cell. The feet, along with the person that they carried, were approaching _her_ cell. She heard the guard that stood in front of her cell sputter a few sentences in Russian, followed by a second voice, which released a sentence in Russian, yet was peppered by the familiar English accent. She wondered why someone from the United States would be in Russia, particularly to see _her_, as the U.S. seemed pretty hell-bent on their decision to erase all knowledge of her ever working for the CIA.

The door was suddenly swung open, the livening scent of fresh air overwhelming her senses. She furrowed her slenderly sculpted brows at the brightness of the sunlight, which was pouring in through the open door, bouncing off of every surface, effectively blinding her.

"Elijah Harvey?"

The man who questioned her directed his attention down to the former super soldier, who was seated with her knees drawn up to her chest and the back of her head resting on the concrete wall behind her. Her expression was almost..._bored_.

She brought her slender hand, which sported five razor-sharp claws, to sweep through the many strands of her short raven hair that spilled down the sides of her face and shined almost as if it were wet. Her muscles were well-defined, and she was most clearly hardened and experienced.

Stryker, intending to pierce her icy shell, purred, "My, my. You really are a _phenomenal_ creature, aren't you?"

He knelt down to her level to examine her, his movement sending the woman to strengthen her guard.

"I'm Major William Stryker," he declared, making eye contact with her through his dark sunglasses. "I can see that you are seeking a way to escape, Miss Harvey. To be able to live freely. To..._unleash_ what you were born to be," he said, removing his sunglasses to reveal stern brown eyes.

Her dark eyes narrowed instinctively. "Why are you here?"

"I am here, because I know how special you are. I know that your capabilities are seemingly _endless_..." Stryker cooed. "After serving sixteen years in the Central Intelligence Agency as a black ops assassin codenamed _Alpha_, you were compromised on a mission here in Russia, correct?"

"Yes," she said, looking down, between her legs, at the concrete floor, as she attempted to control her anger.

"I've had the opportunity to educate myself on your recent activity. I find it very impressive that one woman alone is capable of stirring up such chaos," he said, making reference to her strenuous efforts against her recent capture, that were, unfortunately, not enough to keep her from being imprisoned.

Hearing the word _impressive_, she brought her eyes up to his. She kept her emotion at a minimum, forcing her expression and her tone to remain stoic and unreadable, though she seemed almost shocked at the praising remark.

"Impressive?"

His mouth twisted with smugness. "You can't tell me that the animal inside of you isn't seeking freedom. Like you, I took an oath to protect this country. You may not realize this, but we are at war. And I'm putting together a special team...with _special privileges. _I want you to join me."

She scoffed uninterestedly. "What do you have to offer?"

"You will get the respect that you deserve. You will be erased from the records, giving you the opportunity for a fresh start. If you become more than just a man, if you devote yourself to a _team_, you will find what you're seeking."

"And what am I seeking?" Her raspy voice bore an undertone of sarcasm.

A smirk teased the corners of his lips. "Redemption." Harvey clenched her teeth, not completely sure as to how he could so easily read her. "Join me," Stryker reached down and lifted up one of the heavy chains that secured her to the wall, "and these won't exist anymore. Join me, and you'll have _freedom_."

"Why me?"

Stryker raised a keen eyebrow. "You are one of the few who are the very best at what you do."

Harvey was becoming lost in thought, not completely able to grasp the fact that a chance for escape had finally come; an opportunity, maybe her last, for freedom and independence. After another lengthy minute of analyzing Stryker and reminiscing over his offer, the words began flowing out of her mouth, almost as if she had no control over what she was saying.

"I accept."

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><p><em>Please review. I will be updating as soon as possible. I'm not too busy so I'll try my best. :)<em>

_Thanks for reading! **Part One** coming very soon…_


	2. Part One: Mask Of Shadow

_**A/N:** I'm glad that you decided to keep reading! And thank you so much to everyone who reviewed and/or added Alpha to their Favorites and Story Alerts!_

_**Disclaimer: **As much as it hurts me to say it, Marvel and all characters go to the owners. :/ Oh, and the line below is from the song Everybody's Fool by Evanescence.**  
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><p><strong><em>"Without the mask, where will you hide?"<em>**

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><p>Part One: MASK OF SHADOW<p>

**Hawthorne Motel**

**Washington D.C.**

Agent Elijah Harvey was lounging quietly on the antique sofa, fiddling with one of her twin Beretta 92FS pistols, which was keeping her mind at peace for the time being. She stretched out her lithe, leather-conformed body just enough to have her strong legs resting on the coffee table in front of her, then crossed them at the ankles.

The bright light from the television illuminated her dark-complected features, her chestnut eyes glowing as they reflected the luminous light from the screen. Every few seconds, she would flick her gaze to the door, hoping that her boss would stride in at any moment to pick her up.

Major Stryker had been coaxed to attend to some ill-timed matters of business, so, for the time being, he had urged her to remain at the inn while he carried out his duties elsewhere. The agent had ensured that she would certainly wait, as she understood how stressful the life of someone in this business was.

She tried to focus somewhat on the chatter of the news anchor, but the information seemed to be going in one ear and out the other. Her mind was engulfed in the short stack of files laid out on the coffee table in front of her, the television powered only to calm her nerves. She swung her legs off of the table and shifted to a sitting position on the sofa, slowly becoming engrossed in the information as she read.

She was analyzing every detail of the information that was presented on the files, some being the briefing of the specifics of the upcoming mission and some pertaining to the soldiers of Team X. Her feet shifted on the carpet, excitement blossoming in the pit of her stomach. Only once had she been on a black ops team, but never with other mutants. It would be a stimulating experience for her, to be with her own kind.

Her intrigued eyes scanned over the papers, drinking in the knowledge and storing it all in her mind, as she was trained to do when presented with new information.

The tasks required for the mission were not out of the range of her skill set, though she didn't expect it to, as her range stretched very far. Her training as a master assassin brought her to be skilled in acts of espionage and field missions, and had given her growth n becoming one of the most phenomenal strategic minds in the business. So, it was not very surprising that Stryker was assigning Team X a mission almost immediately after her recruitment. And, after all, you should never put off until tomorrow what can be done today.

As she finished reading the Team X members' dossiers, she slicked a hand through her silken ebony hair. These soldiers were a completely different breed than what she had been accustomed to in the CIA. They were _mutants_. Gifted people with a strength and drive to follow orders and serve their country. They were made of steel, only humans would not accept them. They were vital in combat, yet no one would use them. Because people didn't understand them. And everyone fears what they don't understand.

She went over the names of her comrades in her head; _James Howlett, Victor Creed, Wade Wilson, David North, Chris Bradley, Fredrick Dukes, John Wraith._

As a team, they would serve their country more efficiently than anyone ever thought possible.

The master assassin reached over and picked up her glass of beer from the in-table next to her. She wasn't a drinker, and was usually content with declining a drink, but the taste was just what she needed at the moment. As she gulped down the last bit of the dry liquid, her cell phone began to buzz against her thy. She slid her gloved hand into the pocket of her black leather trench coat and extracted her cell phone.

She looked at the handheld's brightly lit screen:

_Caller ID: Major William Stryker_

Duty calls.

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><p><strong>Stryker's Plane<strong>

"If you'll come with me, Agent Harvey."

The Major had an unusually pleasant glint in his formerly cold eyes as he used his hand to gesture to the way inside of his plane. Immediately, a whirlpool of nervousness and eagerness swirled around inside of her. The feelings of being brought into an all-new environment, where the slate is clean and the expectations are high.**  
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Stryker led her inside, Harvey only two steps behind his own. She hid the tornado of feelings that was inside of her behind a cool and controlled demeanor, a smirk teasing the corners of her lips as she was presented with six incredibly, and gruffly, handsome members of Team X's finest. In a heartbeat, the soldiers' dossiers came rushing back to her, placing each name with each face.

"Well hello chick in leather," Wade Wilson said mainly to himself, his eyebrow rising in a suggestive manner at the leather-clad agent. He waltzed a few steps closer to her, his amber eyes bright and wide with curiosity. "Hola, chica. Wade Wilson, expert swordsman with superhuman charm." His eyebrows were wiggling at her in a comical way.

"Elijah Harvey," the assassin said, her deep voice naturally husky and sultry, purring out as smooth as velvet. It was certainly a voice that harmonized with her full, glossy lips and endlessly curvy figure.

Agent Zero snorted as he began to push past the men to take his seat, not caring less who the woman was, where she came from, what she could add to the team, or why she came.

"I didn't know we were pickin' up strays," he muttered coldly as he sat down, fortunately away from the rest of the team.

On the other hand, Wade, his face lighting up and excitement washing over him, was only able to offer her an eager and ecstatic licking of his lips before Stryker intervened.

"Her particular set of skills are required for this mission. As of now, she will be aiding us, and is joining Team X permanently."

Harvey's lips stretched in a smile, revealing her long, white fangs that were conspicuous against her other teeth. The noise level of the soldiers wavered for a moment as they came to the realization that she had mutations similar to one of their comrades, though quickly picked back up.

Harvey offered a simple handshake to each soldier, to which all but two accepted. Agent Zero only gave her a fiery look and a tight fold of his arms while Fred was otherwise occupied with what smelled to be a candy bar.

"You didn't mention that the new guy's a she," Wade said. "I'm cool with that. In my opinion, ladies are _always_ welcome. We need more hips and curves around here. Don't we, Bradley?"

The mercenary slapped the electricity-wielding mutant beside him on the back with a loud smack, to which Bradley just threw his hands up innocently, declaring that he would have no part in the matter.

"I admit, I may have left out a few..._minor_ details," Stryker confessed.

Noticing the agent's claws, Logan commented, crossing his arms, "She's a feral."

"Precisely," Stryker answered nonchalantly. He continued, his voice melting into a whisper involuntarily. "Female ferals have never been officially said as existent, though they were never said to be_ non-existent_. As far as I am aware of, Harvey is the first, perhaps even the last, female feral. That was one aspect about her that appealed to me...she's _one-of-a-kind_..."

"Are we telling secrets?"

Agent Harvey quickly shot her head in the direction of the deep, smooth voice that echoed throughout the plane, and her chocolate eyes locked with those of the stealthy mutant standing beside her.

Victor Creed, whose eyebrow was cocked at the sight of the new face, took a few heavy footsteps towards her. He extended his huge hand that had previously been shoved in his pocket, revealing that each of his fingers was tipped with a sharp claw resembling that of a wild cat. Harvey almost lost herself in awe. Even though she had read of his mutation in the files before-hand, seeing it in real life caused a strange feeling to creep into her stomach. All of these years, she thought that she was alone in this world, and all of that was changing before her very eyes. Whether his mutation was _exactly_ as hers, she could not determine just yet.

"Victor Creed," she voiced, a smirk playing on her lips as she began shaking his rough hand. "Elijah Harvey..._the new guy_."

His own sharp talons caused friction against her wrists as they shook hands, causing her to exhale in a rather surprised manner. So that was what it felt like to be on the receiving end. It was so unusual to feel that. To feel someone else's claws against her own skin.

She released his hand, her eyes darting over him for only a few seconds, though she was able to analyze his features well.

His eyes were a pale shade of blue that was cold and powerful at the same time, and were filled with mischief. They carried his history and presented his unpredictability, every glint and reflection unveiling a new emotion that was locked up inside of him. Never before had she seen eyes such as those_._ His wavy hair was short and dark, and reached down to his jaw to form two thick muttonchops that framed his sun-tanned face. His lips were slender and delicately formed, and were set below a large pointed nose. He smelled of sweat, sun, and food - the typical scents of a man. A pair of polished silver dog tags spilled down the front of his muscular chest, which was concealed in a long-sleeved black shirt made of the same strong material as an army suit.

Amused by Harvey's obvious flick of an interest, Victor smiled widely, unveiling a sharpened pair of polished white fangs that rivaled her own, which in turn caused her heartbeat to quicken.

This was what everyone else felt like when they looked at _her_. They saw an animal, entirely unpredictable and wired to kill.

"Two minutes to take-off, gentlemen," Stryker bellowed, breaking into Harvey's thoughts.

John swaggered over to her, giving lightly tip of his bizarre cowboy hat, not fitting the tough military air. "Welcome to the team, Harvey."

The corners of Harvey's lips curled upwards, and gave a pleasant "Thanks."

As the team grew quiet, their commander perked up in his chair and shouted the first command of the night. "Now that we've all gotten acquainted, the time has come for us to get moving. It's going to be a long flight, and we need to save as much time as possible."

Everyone began to take their seats, all of which were clearly selected before-hand. After a moment of contemplation, Harvey sat silently in the cushioned seat between John and Victor.

Logan, noticing Wade's signature naughty smirk, leaned closer to the mouthy soldier.

"Wade, don't go gettin' any ideas," he warned.

Harvey wasn't exactly the average hooker that you visit for a romp in the sack, but Logan knew that Wade was stupid enough to attempt his womanizing techniques on her.

Wade smirked, his eyes sparkling with what looked to be a mix of lust and curiosity.

"Too late."

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><p>Maybe an hour had passed by. Other than a few small glances, the soldiers hadn't spoken a word to Agent Harvey. Not that it really surprised her. Plus, she preferred the quiet. It was heaven compared to the tribulation she felt usually.<p>

They all sat in silence, polishing and observing their weapons, but occasionally making a rather dry, uninvited comment about something that no one else cared about.

As time had pushed on, Harvey found no need for her coat in the aircraft, so she had removed it and placed it on her lap. Like the others, she sat in reserve, though quite disinterestedly with her long legs and arms tightly crossed, giving herself some sort of false sense of security.

Her nerves were getting to her. She may have been quiet, but that was only because her head was filled with so many questionable thoughts. She needed to relax, though the gentle swaying of the plane only made the knot in her stomach tighten even more.

Harvey's eyes began to wander. They passed over Zero and froze on Logan, whose shoulders were hunched over, his head quite low, with his hands covering his face. She watched as he sat himself back up and leaned his back into the back of his seat, attempting to compose himself from his obvious motion sickness.

She then looked up at Victor, comparing their features. You could certainly tell that they were brothers even if you weren't already aware. Their appearances and scents linked them to be related in some way or another.

She darted her eyes forward at Wilson, who sat polishing his weapons of choice. She observed the twin Japanese beauties resting on his lap, which told her that he was a swordsman. And, judging the massive size of his arms, he was a good one. He glanced up at Harvey, catching her in her quiet investigation, though didn't stop the meticulous cleaning of his katanas.

Her eyes shifted from him to her own hand as she stretched out her fingers, her yellow-tinted claws extending slowly. _Her_ _weapons - _though not necessarily of choice.

Sensing someone watching her, she brought her brown gaze forward, to Wade's eye level. He was looking her up and down with ferocious interest, and a smirk sprouting on his face.

She leaned forward a little. "Something wrong?"

"Just looking," he replied nonchalantly.

"Do you mind looking somewhere else?"

"...Yep."

His amber-speckled eyes traveled from her face, down her chest, to her clawed hands, which were now folded on her lap. They amplified as a smirk came over his face.

"Would the lady like a manicure?" He lowered his sword over to her hands, and slowly grazed the tops of her fingers with the blade. "You know, you and I should spar some time. I've got some positions I know you'll like."

He winked, to which she responded to by narrowing her eyes. Though, on the inside, she was strangely flattered by his obscenely wild fascination with her. He was praising her for her looks, a sentiment not often thrown her way.

From a few feet away, Logan groaned, obviously made even more irritable by his illness. "My God, Wade. Would you shut up?"

Wade cutely pouted his lips. "I think you're just jealous. Don't worry, Logan. One day you'll make some man very happy."

Logan rolled his deep chocolate eyes and directed his attention to Harvey.

"He's got a big mouth."

"Among other things," Wade chimed, his naughty wink earning another eye-roll from the gruff Canadian and a furrow of brows from the female feral.

Fred raised a brow at Harvey. "Wanna kill him yet?"

"Thinking about it," Harvey grunted, squaring her shoulders.

Zero gave a small exhale. "Yeah, well get in line."

All at once, the conversing team members sensed Stryker's wintry glare, a warning to stop before any physical violence takes place.

The Major knew what these soldiers were made of. While they were in a confined space and off of solid ground, Stryker wanted as little tension as possible. He knew what kind of power and pain they could unleash, and he was not going to allow them to turn on each other. The repercussions would be catastrophic for he and the team both.

With two hours turning to three, Harvey's tensed muscles began to gradually relax, as the conversation was at a minimum, so she wouldn't be pushed to her limits. Dark eyes shooting around the aircraft, her uneasiness began to slowly unravel inside her. She glanced next to her at Victor, whose massive shoulder suddenly brushed into hers. She kept her eyes on him since he was glaring over at Wade, positive that her observation wouldn't be detectable.

"You shouldn't stare. I'd hate for a face like yours to get stuck like that."

Her muscled tightened once again as she was brought to reality by Victor, whose icy eyes didn't even have to move to her for him to know that she was looking at him.

He fixed his eyes down on her as if she were a piece of meat. His expression was on the verge of humorous, though still quite intimidating.

"Don't be shy," Victor purred, then smirked. He studied her for a moment. "You smell nervous."

She looked at him for a second, then looked back down, eyebrows raised, lips curled in a smirk.

"Do I?"

"More than anything else."

Both his expression and tone roughened a little, sending her muscles to tense up.

"Hey, Spandex," Wade leaned forward, catching Harvey's attention. She brought her dark eyes to the mouthy soldier's very own, and he broke the ice with a toothy smile.

"Just a tip_,_" he whispered into her ear. "I'd lay off the small talk with tall-dark-and-hairy over there." He pointed an accusing finger at Creed, who was burning him with a fiery glare that could drop you to your knees. "He doesn't play very nice. He's like Zero, only without the warm and cuddly side. Plus, he's like a billion years old. I mean, he's, like, on thyroid pills."

She found that she was wrestling the urge to smile. As a feral, she was aware of what Wilson was referring to, for she herself was over two centuries old.

Her lips tilted up in a menacing crescent moon of a smile, her bright white fangs suddenly unveiled, causing a nervous Bradley to gulp loudly with a stomach of uneasiness. Glancing over at the anxious soldier allowed her to catch a glimpse of Logan, who remained deep in his sickness.

"Is he alright?" she asked with genuine concern displayed in her eyes.**  
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She looked to her left as she felt a gentle tap - much softer than Wade's tapping - on the crest of her shoulder, and met the gaze of John Wraith.**  
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"He ain't the flyin' type..." the cowboy murmured, gesturing to her shiny combat boots that were clearly new, "...you might wanna watch the boots."

"Believe me, I'm way ahead of you."

She slid her body a little more closely to Wraith and shifted her legs as to where her feet were a good distance away from Logan.

"So, Harvey. How exactly 'd you get into this line of work?" Wraith inquired, managing to attract her attention away from their ill comrade.

The leather-clad assassin shifted in her seat at the question, a burning sensation in her throat. Series of old memories flickered in the back of her mind. The pain of her past both physical and psychological, the constant torture that had followed her to that day, the loneliness that had succeeded in planting thoughts of suicide in her brain, that night in Moscow that was the origin of her personal burdens...

Every one of those painful steps that she had taken to shape her into who she was today_. _

Everything that she had somehow managed to push aside for the past few hours.

What was she to say? How much of her life should she make known to them?

Nothing. She was to tell them _nothing_. No one was ever to be trusted, especially with her emotional scars as exposed as they were now.

As Wraith, along with the handful of conflicted recruits, began to observe Harvey's silent, uncomfortable contemplation, they all began to realize that the understanding of this agent was becoming more and more transparent, though _she_, on the other hand, remained shrouded in mystery. The more they all thought, the more they understood that a trained killer who had lived her entire life on edge and was forever on her toes, would certainly not be the type to divulge her entire life's adventure. In point of fact, Agent Harvey did not even appear as the kind of person to share _any_ personal information with _anyone, _friend or not.

As they all exchanged knowing glances with each other, a feeling of understanding settling in the pits of their stomachs.

Wraith was on the verge of telling her to forget about the question, when she gave voice.

"I realized that I was good at it," was her one and only response.

Everyone's attention was immediately attracted toward one side of the plane as they heard Wade bellow an over-dramatic, almost comical scream. The soldiers leveled their eyes to Victor, who was seated smugly, legs crossed, picking at his nails with disinterest. They then caught sight of Wade, who had fallen to the floor of the aircraft in one fluid motion and was clutching his groin, which had been hit with the Canadian's hard kneecap full-force.

"Are they always like this?" Harvey asked, turning her head to the team, though keeping her body directed toward the two troublemakers beside her.

The large blonde known as Fred decided to give his contribution to the situation. He sighed, "_Oh_ yeah…you shoulda seen 'em back at the base yesterday. Cost Stryker over $7000 in damages."

_Damn..._she thought. _These guys don't mess around._

Now, it was Harvey's turn to sigh as she brought her attention back to the pair. One of the two she would have to mingle with every so often. The other was assigned to be her partner, whom she would be forced to operate with, complete missions with, and live with every _single_ moment of every _single_ day. And tonight would be their first mission together. How she would keep herself sane, she would figure out later.

Logan half-grunted and half-groaned as they all felt plane jolt forward, indicating their landing, and, for Agent Harvey, her first mission.

Major Stryker had revealed the plan for attack to Agent Harvey in great detail, clarifying and illustrating the details thoroughly. She resisted the urge to ask anyone any questions, although the question of why she had been hand-selected for Team X and for what purpose continually pushed at her thoughts.

No, she could not dwell on the unanswered questions. She was to focus her entire being on the task-at-hand, just as she had been trained and instructed to do.

"Alright, team. Let's go to work," was the Major's final order before everyone began to prepare to file out of the jet.

As Harvey got up from her seat and lifted her arms in a stretch, she realized that her partner had done the same, and had even dared to stand next to her, quite closely in fact, his monstrous shadow covering her smaller one. It was then that she noticed how incredibly huge he was.

She tilted her head up, following the trail of her eyes as they made their way from his firm chest to the smirk etched into his handsome features. She could not lie to herself, he was one good-looking man, just as every other member of Team X was. Creed exchanged a look with the agent, their eyes locking, hers containing fire while his contained ice.

The Major was looking around the plane, determined not to forget anything that needed to be attended to or taken with him on the assignment, while Wilson and Wraith stood side by side near the exit, the swordsman whispering nonsensical observations to the cowboy with childish enthusiasm.

"She wants me so bad, it's crazy," Wade commented in a low voice, though Harvey heard him fine.

John shook his head at him. "Wade, calm ya ass down. She ain't even lookin' this way."

"Oh _please_. She's _undressing_ me with her eyes—"

"I heard that," Harvey cut in, a smirk twisting her features. "You know, for a guy with such a big mouth, you try to tell a hell of a lot of secrets."

Wade's eyes narrowed as he fought away a smirk as well. He was intrigued by this one, no doubt in his mind.

"Good luck on the mission," John raised his voice, changing the subject.

Agent Harvey nodded one final time, then picked up her cloak and began to leave the jet, swerving past those still standing in the plane and moving through the path in which they had cleared for her.

She stepped out of the aircraft, holding her coat behind her with both hands, and slipping it on from behind, the dark leather creating a lovely ruffling sound.

This was her time for her awakening. For redemption. For _freedom_.

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><p><em>Reviews to me are like cigars to Wolverine, so please, I beg of you, click that button and leave a review! It doesn't have to be long, though I do love constructive criticism. Just a comment on what you thought. Like it or no?<em>

_It's pretty obvious that I focused on Victor's eyes when he appears for the first time. It may be a bit over-the-top to some people, but to me, eyes can explain everything, sometimes even better than words. By the shade of gloss or sparkle of emotion in someone's eyes, you can detect what they're feeling at that moment. I really love how a person's personality can be explained through something as simple as the eyes. You can detect what someone's feeling, thinking, or even trying to say to you just by meeting someone's gaze. __And I think that Liev's eyes are a prominent feature of his; they're incredibly beautiful and have a certain passion about them that I find insanely hot!_

_I even based a quote in here from Liev about big game cats and the inspiration of Sabretooth, about when you lock eyes with a caged game cat, the animal's practically saying, "I can't get you now, but if I could, you'd be a hamburger in seconds." I found that very powerful and helpful when writing about Victor._

_I know my concluding Author's Note is like a commentary, but I love explaining why I do things to help readers understand more of where I come from as a writer and what I'm thinking, so that if I do need help, they won't be totally lost as to what I need help with. So, you should probably expect a fairly detailed A/N at the end of most of my chapters._

_I promise that I'll update as soon as I can! _


	3. Part Two: New Way To Bleed

_**A/N:** Hello, everyone! I've titled this chapter New Way To Bleed, as I was able to see The Avengers recently and, being the movie-obsessed person I am, I am now hooked on everything Avengers, including the soundtrack. (BTW, The Avengers was one of the most incredible movies I've ever seen!) That being said, the song New Way To Bleed is a fantastic song on the Avengers soundtrack, right up there with Live To Rise by Soundgarden. It fits this chapter well, in my opinion. I hope you enjoy!  
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_**DISCLAIMER:** No, I do NOT own the lyrics below, X-Men, Marvel, or Victor Creed…if that were the case, I would own Liev Schreiber…YUM.  
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><p><strong><em>"I feel it coming over me<em>**.

**_I'm still a slave to these dreams_**.

**_Is this the end of everything_…__**

**_O_****_r just a new way to bleed?"_**

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><p>Part Two: NEW WAY TO BLEED<p>

**Secluded Base  
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**Location: Confidential**

"Wade, I suggest that you keep your eyes on the mission and off of my ass."

The testosterone-fueled team broke their brisk stride in a large, clean group, with the Major at the head and Agent Harvey thrown in the middle, observing the enemy base that was the objective of their current mission.

Wade stood incredibly close behind Agent Harvey, who shifted her weight to her right foot and crossed her arms over her chest, not even needing to look at the soldier to be aware of his wandering eyes.

"What're you wearing under that suit?" the swordsman whispered into her ear from behind, sending a chill down her spine.

Driven by a strong surge of lust, he cupped the agent's backside in his warm palm, as it seemed to tease him through her slim-fitting catsuit.

On instinct and pure, unadulterated annoyance, Harvey spun around and smashed her hard fist into his face, causing him to fall to the ground in pain. This was the second time that evening that he was brought to the ground by a team member. Putting a hand to his jawbone, Wade glared up at the feral, who stood with a smug smirk pasted on her face.

* * *

><p>The remaining members of the team made their way to Stryker's van where they crowded inside, all complaining about the unfortunate circumstances of the cramped van. It was inconspicuously parked a few hundred feet away from the base and hidden by an incredible amount of brush.<p>

Both Victor and Elijah, being right as rain to successfully complete this mission, proceeded closer to the large building. Victor's wandering eyes prowled over Elijah's half-exposed upper body as they moved. She could feel his cold eyes boring into her skin, which was gradually causing her nerves to get a hold of her. As the two ferals silently crept closer to the perimeter of the building, Victor's mouth curved into a suggestive smile, his white canines peeking at her from underneath his tan lips.

"This is what I was talking about earlier," he confessed to her, motioning to the entrance of a well-covered storm drain, "about us getting _close_."

She tore her gaze from him and surveyed the drain, estimating _just_ how close Victor was expecting to be to her. The drain was only about three and a half feet around, so just walking through was not an option. Elijah swallowed hard, her desire to be near Victor non-existent. He could get away with doing practically anything he wanted to do to her in the tight space. Her fighting abilities were advanced, but size and strength _did_ matter quite substantially.

_Come on, Elijah,_ she thought, _don't be so picky. This is your job. It's what you have to about an hour or so, this 'll be over.  
><em>

"Alright," she sighed. "Let's... let's just do this."

They both wriggled into the drain on their hands and knees, slithering quietly through the dark tunnel. No other sound besides the small splashes of their knees and hands hitting the remaining puddles of water could be detected in the silence. No words were uttered until Elijah felt Victor's warm hand ticklishly traveling from the small of her back to her butt. His arousing action caused her to jump in surprise, leading to her slamming her head on the hard concrete surface above her.

"Do you mind?" she heatedly hissed at him in a loud whisper. "I'm not just some slut you can feel up any time you want to!"

He mockingly chuckled at her, entertained by her reaction to his touch. "My mistake."

Elijah rubbed her head angrily where she had banged it and groaned. She could still feel the tingle of the line that he had traced down her back.

"Are you _trying_ to piss me off?" she asked with an irritated movement of her head. Through the darkness of the tunnel, she caught sight of Victor's playful smirk coming into view. Realizing that he thought of her as his very own private entertainment, she released a loud sigh that showed her disgust for him.

He only teasingly chuckled at her bad-mannered behavior and confessed, "I can see myself in you already, Harv."

"Fantastic," she remarked sarcastically. She was instantaneously surprised at the use of a nickname. And of all the nicknames that could be taken from Elijah Harvey, he chose Harv? _Really?_

Victor's signature arrogant yet amused grin ran across his face as they resorted to crawling again. Suddenly she could feel Victor's warm hand begin to smoothly stroke her hip, causing her breathing to become heavier. As his heinous imagination began to demonstrate it's take on what she tasted like, he roughly pulled her closer to him. Their lips were within the range of meeting when Creed became aware that a clawed hand was tightly clutching his throat.

"Don't _ever_ do that again," she hissed, complete and utter antagonism highlighting each word. "I'm not your personal play toy. I think you should understand that now or else you're asking for trouble."

Her soft lips ventured to his ear, brushing against his soft skin smoothly and sensually. By telling him that he could not have her while being so close to him, she managed to tease and torment him in such a way that couldn't be explained.

"And if you ask for trouble, I'm willing to give it," she confirmed, meaning every word.

Victor couldn't take it anymore, his body becoming consumed with lust and desire. He instantly turned his head and narrowly missed those lush lips that had been so close to him. Frustrated, he slammed her onto the floor of the tunnel. A wicked chuckle was elicited from his lips as he realized that she was pinned down firmly enough to destroy any chance of escape from his grasp.

As her eyes darted restlessly from the ceiling of the drain to the lustfully obscene smile of the man seated on top of her, his right eyebrow raised in amusement at her.

"Did you _honestly_ think you'd be able to talk to me like that?" His tone of voice managed to remain intimidating and seductive at the same time. He continued, his razor-sharp claws beginning to dig into the skin of her shoulders, "If anyone is asking for trouble, it's _you_."

He leaned down and pressed his body onto hers even more. As a small amount of blood erupted out of her shoulders and onto his palms, he could smell the glimmering drops of sweat trickling down her face. He began gently stroking her shoulders and chest, Elijah squirming for freedom from his firm grasp. Her stomach twisted into a knot as the pads of his fingers and tips of his claws grazed her sun-tanned skin. He broke their intense gaze and quickly buried his face into the soft skin of her neck, taking advantage of the situation. She growled as his warm, soft lips pressed into her throat, causing Elijah to feel light-headed.

After another moment of being held into place under his body, she fiercely kicked him off of her body, Elijah finally releasing the monstrous animal inside of her. Her eyes blazed an intense bright yellow as a grim growl synonymous to that of a wolf made it's way into the sweltry air of the tunnel. The strong impact of her boot sent Victor rolling onto the ground.

Her needle-pointed fingers immediately twisted around the collar of his shirt. She pressed him forcibly against the side of the drain, her voice escalating to a frighteningly threatening tone.

"What did I just get through telling you, Victor?" His name left a bitter taste in her mouth. Fury and vexation were set ablaze in her bright yellow eyes, her ferocious expression unceasing. "I wouldn't try that again if I were you."

Her anger-driven hands finally released his collar as a slightly awkward silence settled into the tunnel. The one audible sound that could be distinguished was the panting noise of the breaths of the two ferals who were just staring at each other. The silence extended on for a moment that seemed as if it was an eternity, which proved to be a good time for Victor's ego to slowly mend itself. He killed the silence with a defeated tone soaking his formerly elegant voice.

"You kick like a damn horse," he told her as he clutched his bruised side.

He was clearly shocked by the incredible explosion of force that was utilized from this woman. She wasn't anything like the powerless frails that he had encountered before. Victor's healing factor took effect to his side as both mutants began crawling through the tunnel again.

A laugh broke out of Elijah's formerly hushed mouth, which aroused a scowled expression from Victor. She had intimidated the very threatening Victor Creed, which caused an autocratic happiness to tingle inside of her. Though, as happy as she was, she kept quiet about the situation. The last thing she needed was Victor to be more infuriated than he already was. She forced it to seem like she was laughing at Victor's remark, though something in her expression caused Victor to think otherwise.

A few more moments passed as they soundlessly crawled on all fours through the tight tube. Both ferals, feeling a little embarrassed by their behavior, had decided not to speak to each other and ultimately to forget what they had done.

The silence gave both of them a feeling of regret and remorse.

The two breathed a deep sigh of relief as they finally discovered a way into the building. Victor got on his knees and pushed open a small hatch leading to an office above them. In advance to Victor making his way through the tight opening, his eyes ventured down to Elijah's, that were now a seemingly angelic deep brown color.

"Wait here," he commanded, Elijah feeling a little more relaxed now that someone had spoken.

Brushing aside her hatred for the man, she obeyed his order. He was her partner on this mission, and she didn't have the slightest doubt that they would be paired up as partners again.

After receiving her respectful nod from his companion, Victor made his way through the opening and into the room.

As she detected a slight commotion from above her, Elijah gulped, knowing that Victor had just killed the man who had been working in that office. Victor's hand made it's way through the hole and Elijah just stared at it, too stubborn to accept it.

"Just come on," he instructed, dissatisfied with her strong will. After her eyes rolled and she accepted his hand with discontent, her slender body was quickly pulled through the hole without difficulty. She steadied herself in the large office and noticed an almost undetectable security camera that was bolted to the wall in the corner of the room. She lifted her gun to the camera and pulled the trigger, causing it to explode into pieces.

Almost unable to register the very abrupt turn of events, both mutants spun around with surprise as a squad of soldiers stormed into the room. These men were stealthy for humans, considering that they managed to elude the ferals' senses.

Victor immediately resulted in wiping out the men one by one, causing Elijah to groan. The intense scent of blood overwhelmed her.

Her eyes converted to the blazing golden-yellow and her claws and fangs prolongated to their full extent. Her animal began taking over her body, consuming and altering her natural charisma to a corrupt monster of a personality. As this painful metamorphosis was taking place, Victor only watched her with a sinister smile as he realized what she was becoming.

Elijah's breaths became heavier and heavier as the fragrance of blood traveled through her nostrils and into her head. The scent was so overwhelming that she could practically taste the foul-smelling perfume on her tongue. Completing the transformation with a shaking of her head and a cracking of her neck, she became fully aware that Alpha had completely overcome her body... and she liked it.

The delightful taste of blood caused an incredible sensation to her senses. Having adapted to her advanced state of mind, she gave into her new-found bloodlust and began going in for the kill.

After the brutal extermination of a very frightened handful of soldiers, Alpha came to the decision to look at this as a game. She scanned the office and quickly succeeded in hiding herself behind a piece of furniture, finding this to be fairly amusing.

One of the remaining troopers became engulfed in a complete state of panic.

"WHERE IS SHE?" he yelled to his compatriots, who were being slaughtered one-by-one by Alpha's villainous associate.

Alpha silently sneaked up behind him and eerily whispered into his ear, expecting an entertaining reaction.

"I'm right here," she told him while placing a hand with five bloody claws on his shoulder.

The frightened soldier spun around, and before gaining the courage to make a move, Alpha clawed through his fragile body from hip to shoulder, cutting through layers of his soft flesh. Large drops of dark red fluids began gushing out of his body and onto the carpet.

She fiendishly smiled at another soldier, who had fallen to the floor in fear, exposing her sharp blood-covered fangs.

"This is the part when you run," she explained to him, her smile growing wider and more menacing with every word.

The sight of this disturbing killer made the trooper's blood run cold. Frightened, he got to his feet with quickness in hopes of escaping, but unfortunately leaped into the clutches of Sabretooth.

* * *

><p>Victor and Elijah crept silently up the spiraling staircase that added a certain surprisingly whimsical air to the facility. They reached the fourth level of the base and began walking through the empty hall.<p>

They were searching for the particular office that Stryker had described to them earlier.

Victor gave the signal to Elijah, indicating that he would allow her to continue on her own. _His_ job was to keep the soldiers away from her as she completed _her_ job. Elijah had just gotten finished in explaining to him that she could take care of herself when they went separate ways.

She raced through the hall that seemed endless until she stumbled upon the room that she had been told to search for. She briskly leaped inside of the room, locking the door behind her and silently seating herself in the computer chair.

She began an exploration of the computer's hard drive, which was a difficult process for her as it carried so much data that even _she_ was having trouble locating the file that Stryker was wanting. After a few long moments of heavy searching, she discovered it at last: a massive file labeled ADA015749. She hurriedly began sending it to Stryker's computer, which resided in his van along with him and the team.

She was slightly on edge, being in an unknown base and having no knowledge of a quick escape. Her nerves relaxed slowly as the file was being sent, though her slight serenity was interrupted by Stryker's harsh voice in her ear.

"Harvey, there's a squad of fifty coming at you this second. Get that file sent and get out of there!"

It took her a second to fully register what he had just told her. After a short moment of losing her cool and absorbing the information, she quickly darted out of the room, knowing that if she could just distract the troops from the computer, the file would reach Stryker's laptop in only a matter of moments and her mission would be complete.

She halted unspeaking in the heart of the quiet hallway, attempting to detect any sound of movement.

_Yeah. Yeah, this is a good plan. Just find the soldiers... and you'll be fine, _she silently assured herself.

Before she could begin the chase for the soldiers, she was yanked by her arm into a dark corner and pulled into someone's arms. A hand possessing knife-edged claws covered Elijah's mouth, preventing her from making any noise. Being pressed firmly against this man's sweaty, powerful body evoked a small sigh. She felt his hot breath and facial hair tickle her earlobe as twelve armed soldiers darted through the hall where she had been standing only a few seconds before.

He had saved her from being caught, though that didn't ease the hatred that grew to be all-consuming. They both watched as the soldiers ran completely out of sight. Both ferals let out a long breath of relief and he began speaking to her.

"I thought you could take care of yourself," he sarcastically murmured in her ear.

"Shut up, Victor," she snapped, having had enough of his arrogance. She pried his arms off of her stood up after being released from his grasp. She straightened her shirt, which had become disheveled due to his embrace.

"I could've handled it," she barked, beginning to strut down the large hall.

Before Victor could reply, both ferals received an earful of commands being directed at them. "Stand down! Stay where you are!"

They avoided hesitation and quickly rushed down the hall, knowing that the soldiers were on their heels like hounds in pursuit of a fox. They were swiftly darting down the never-ending halls when Elijah noticed Victor's limberness. His cat-like movements so incredibly fast and effective, Elijah was having trouble keeping up with him.

The troops were proving as a barrier, blocking the only known passage of escape. It seemed like there was no other way out. Victor and Elijah continued to dash through the passages, searching for any way out; a window, a door, a hall, _anything _leading outside. Elijah's heart speedily convulsed with fear at each hopeless turn.

She was to the agonizing point of hysteria when they both stumbled upon a very large window.

They both looked out of the window, aware that this was their only opportunity for escape. The unbelievable sight caused Elijah to swallow hard, her throat burning with alarm. If this was to be their way, they would have to fall four stories... and a large, unforgiving lake would prove to be their cushion to land on.

"Yep. We're screwed," Elijah shakily commented.

The soldiers made a fanfare of an appearance at the end of the long, well-lit hallway. Elijah's eyed popped wide open as she caught sight of the troops. With no time to think, she and Victor got a running start and leaped, penetrating the window. Shards of shattered glass exploded after them as they fell.

The team, witnessing this from the van's window, burst out of the car and rushed to the base. They hurriedly reached the lake just in time to see the two soldiers come into view above the water.

Elijah forced her head out of the water and sucked in a massive amount of air. As the oxygen filled her lungs, she began trembling; it almost hurt to take in a deep breath. Using up their remaining strength, they both began to swim to the land that lied only a few feet away from them.

After they had finally reached the grass-covered bank, they both tumbled onto the ground, completely exhausted. As Elijah was stumbling to her feet, John extended out his hand to help her. She gratefully accepted it and was aided in standing up, Victor's jealousy being wickedly fiery as a result of her accepting _John's_ hand appreciatively and refusing to take _his_.

Major Stryker assisted in steadying her and quickly led her away from the remaining members of his team, having a certain matter in mind that needed to be discussed. As Elijah attempted to get herself warm, she shook her head rapidly in a failed attempt to dry her dripping hair.

Elijah began shivering as a slight breeze raced through the air, the wind stinging her soaked skin. She was completely exhausted, yet thankful that Victor was there keep her from being detected, but she still did not trust him. He was still Sabretooth, a villainous man driven by an inner-animal that was as untamable as wildfire.

"Excellent work. You two make a fine pair," Stryker praised with glowing satisfaction. "I'm sure that you both will see this as spur-of-the-moment, but I'm quite sure that this decision will prove to be the best for all of us. Knowing how this mission has gone, you two... will work on Team X as_ partners_."

Elijah's mouth dropped open. Both of Victor's eyebrows leaped up into two curved archways.

"Excuse me?" He disapprovingly folded his arms, and added, "I don't babysit."

Elijah's eyes took another full circle in her sockets. _Babysit? What am I, four now? Just a few minutes ago you practically attacked me in that tunnel._

A small breath of a chuckle escaped from Stryker's lips, which caused Elijah to feel a pang of anger and regret. "Victor, it isn't babysitting. She's quite capable in using her own abilities to take care of herself, aren't you, Harvey?"

Victor half-grinned at Elijah who stood in bitter silence with her arms crossed, no words having the capability of explaining her dismay. As Victor made his way back to his companions, Stryker made an effort to soothe her after noticing her affronted expression.

"Harvey, you aren't too fond of Victor, I can see that. But I can also see a fantastic partnership between the two of you. This mission has been the smoothest yet because of your combined intellect and skill, which I must say, has proved to be of the highest standing. Both of you may carry a few personal issues with each other, but the benefits of such a partnership seem to outweigh the disadvantages of petty problems, which I'm sure can be resolved through your working side by side. You possess an amazing gift, Harvey, and merging your astonishing technological _and_ physical abilities with skills such as Victor's creates an unstoppable force. Now, does that clear it up for you?"

"Perfectly," Harvey fairly spat.

Although she despised herself for her silent confession, she had to admit that she agreed with the Major's words. She lifted her chin up and inaudibly screamed at herself that all of these speed-bumps were part of the job. Working with this mysterious, untamable feral man was part of the job... and that told her everything that she needed to know.

As Stryker stepped away from her, Elijah's thoughts twisted_...I didn't sign up for this._

* * *

><p><em>Review, please! I am looking forward to everyone's comments. If you guys don't mind, I'd like to know your thoughts on things like how you like Elijah and her relationship with Victor so far. I'd also like to see if you have any tips or ideas you wanna share. (They might be better in a PM...) Also, if ideas or scenes are shared, credit will most certainly be given. I'm not THAT greedy...<br>_

_I thought it was interesting to give Harvey a sort of a Jekyll/Hyde personality. She knows what she's doing when she succumbs to that animal side of her, but it causes her deadly bloodlust, along with the darkest side of her personality, to strengthen to the point where she can't control herself._

_Thank you all so, so, so much for reading. Without you guys, I'd be nothing. Part Three coming soon!_


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